Submarine signal fuze



Aug. 1965 s. M. FASIG ETAL SUBMARINE SIGNAL FUZE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 10, 1964 M m. @0 my mm 4 E m v, I MM 5 MW \M\ m M \R L United States Patent 3,199,453 SUBMARINE SIGNAL FUZE Stanley M. Fasig, Eloornington, 1nd, and Glenn C. Johnson, Hyattsville, Md, assignors to the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Feb. 10, 1964, Scr. No. 343,9ti1 1 Claim. (Cl. 1027) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to a submarine signalling device and more particularly to a signalling device containing a pyrotechnic composition and which is launched from a submerged submarine.

Submarines have used pyrotechnic signals as a means of providing a mark on the ocean surface in order to show the relative position of the submarine to surface ships. Heretofore, most signal devices have been provided with a fixed time delay which permits the signal to rise to the surface before the pyrotechnic is ignited. However with the advent of nuclear submarines, which can operate faster and at greater depths, the fixed time delay device is no longer adequate as the submarine may travel a great distance between the time of launch and the time of ignition of the pyrotechnic device.

In order to overcome the disadvantages of the fixed time delay type device, devices have been provided that opcrate by pressure and are actuated upon reaching a predetermined dept-h. One such device is shown in United States Patent 3,048,111 which issued August 7, 1962, to Baker et al. This patent shows an arming and firing mechanism which operates through progressive steps and is actuated by changing pressure of the water medium through which it is launched. A relatively high hydraulic pressure is first used to align a portion of a firing pin and then a low pressure is used to actuate another portion of the firing pin which then strikes that portion which was placed in alignmerit. While this patent does provide the desired function, that is, the pyrotechnic is ignited upon the signal fuze reaching the surface, nevertheless the complicated mechanism is expensive to build and the complicated mechanism can result in malfunctioning.

The present invention functionally operates similar to the Baker et al. device in that the pyrotechnic composition is not ignited until the signal reaches the surface of the Water. A sea water battery is provided and, upon the signal reaching the surface, a valve permits the battery compartment to be flooded and the sea water, acting as an electrolyte, energizes the battery plates. Various safety devices are provided to insure that the pyrotechnic composition is not ignited prior to the signal reaching the surface.

It is thergiore, a general object of the present invention to provide an improved submarine signal fuze that can be launched from various depths but will not be ignited until the signal fuze reaches the surface.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a submaririe signal fuze that is actuated upon a compartment being flooded whereupon sea water energizes a battery.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE '2 is a partial sectional view of a signal fuze showing the fuse in a launching tube;

a film of silver chloride on a silver plate.

3,133,453 Patented Aug. 19, 1965 "ice FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view similar to FIG- URE 2 only showing the signal having left the launching tube and being in an armed condition;

FIGURE 4 is a View similar to FIGURE 3 only showing the valve removed and the battery compartment filled with sea water;

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view of a wiring diagram;

FIGURE 6 is a partial sectional view of an alternate nose plug assembly; and

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken on line 77 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is shown a submarine signal fuze 11 consisting of a projectile shell 12 and a fuze body 13. Shell 12. is attached to fuze body assembly 13 as by crimping, or the two units 12 and 13 may be threadedly attached, as shown in United States Patent 3,048,111. Shell 12 contains a pyrotechnic composition 14 in the end that is attached to fuze body 13 and an aperture 15 is provided on the opposite end of shell 12 to permit the escape of the products of combustion when pyrotechnic composition 14 is ignited. By way of example, a black smoke composition might be comprised of fifteen parts by weight of magnesium, 22 parts by weight of anthracene, and'63 parts by weight of hexachloroethane. Red, yellow, green, and other colored smoke compositions, well-known in the art, might also be employed as the pyrotechnic composition 14. A nose plug assembly 16, which consists of a nose plug 17 and spring means 18, is provided to seal shell 12 during its travel through the water. A pair of electric squibs 19 and 21) are provided near the top surface of the pyrotechnic composition 14, and a first fire composition 21 is provided around these squibs to facilitate ignition. By way of example, a first fire composition might be comprised of six parts by weight of lead-peroxide, eight parts by weight of silicon powder, and six parts by weight of cupric oxide. Wires 22 connect squibs 19 and to a sea water battery 23 through means of connectors 39 and a shunting switch assembly 25. By way of example, battery 23 might be of a single cell construction with the negative plate being of magnesium and the positive plate being comprised of Fuze body 13 which contains the sea water battery 23 is provided with an aperture 24 which is maintained closed during travel through the water by means of a valve assembly 26.

Valve assembly as consists of a valve 27, an outer spring 28, an inner valve spring 29, an O ring 34), and a spring retainer 31. Spring retainer 31 is attached to a chamfered portion of aperture 24 and the stem of valve 27 protrudes through retainer 31. The inner valve spring 29 is retained by retainer 31 and tends to bias valve 2'7 outwardly so that aperture 24 will be open. However, as will be explained later, valve 27 is maintained seated at launch, and after launch, the sea pressure acting against the valve head maintains the aperture 24 closed until the force exerted by spring 29 exceeds the force of the sea. 0 ring 39 is provided to facilitate a water-tight seal between the valve head and its seat.

A guide assembly 32 is provided on the outside of the fuze body 13 and consists of a latch 33 that is rotatably supported by a shaft 34. A spring 35 is provided to keep latch 33 biased in a forward position. A guide shoe 36 is also rotatably supported on shaft 34 and when guide shoe 36 is in its down or closed position, it maintains the valve assembly 26 in a position such that no water can enter through aperture 24 into the inner chamber of the fuze body 13. A wire 37 is connected to latch 33 and passes through a hole in guide shoe 36 and into the shunt assembly in order to keep guide shoe in a locked position. A safety pin as is provided through shaft 34 and through boss 38 on fuze body 13 in order to prevent any rotation of latch 33 prior to the time that the signal fuze is placed in launching tube 41.

As best shown in FIGURES 2 and 7 of the drawings, launching tube 41 is provided with an enlarged portion 42 that has a narrow slot 43 and a broad slot 44 therein. When signal fuze 11 is placed within launching tube 41, latch 33 extends into the narrow slot 43 and guide shoe 36 extends into broad slot 44. Thus it can be seen that signal fuze 11 is guided during its travel through launching tube 41. Broad slot 44 is continuous throughout the length of launching tube 41, however the narrow slot 43 stops short of the outer end of the launching tube to provi e an end portion 45. As latch 33 strikes end portion 45, the force of spring 35 will be overcome and latch 33 will be rotated about shaft 34 to arm signal fuze 11.

Shunt assembly 25 is provided to short the sea water battery 23 prior to the desired time of igniting the pyrotechnic composition 14. A shorting disc 46 is provided on the end of a spring biased shaft 47 and when guide shoe 36 is latched by wire 37 guide shoe 36 maintains the shorting disc 46 in contact with a pair of screws 48 and 43 through which battery 23 is connected and thus disc 46 shorts the battery 23 as long as guide shoe 36 remains latched by wire 37.

Operation In operation the submarine signal fuze 11 is placed in the launching tube 41 which consists basically of a tube that extends through the hull of a submarine. Once signal fuze 11 has entered the launching tube, the safety pin 40 can be removed however launching tube 41 will prevent the guide shoe from pivoting upwardly and thus aperture 24 will remain closed by valve 27, and battery 23 will remain shorted by disc 46. By Way of example, the submarine signal fuze 11 may be expelled by a compulsion firing method in which a quantity of high pressure air is released to the inside of launching tube 41 which drives the signal fuze 11 out the outer end of launching tube 41. As submarine signal fuze 11 reaches the outer end of the launching tube, latch 33 will strike end portion 45 which will cause latch 33 to be pivoted about shaft 34-. As best seen in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, this rotation of latch 33 causes wire 3'7 to be withdrawn from the hole in shunt assembly 25 and guide shoe 36 is then free to be pivoted about shaft 34. The outer spring 28 of valve assembly 26 biases guide shoe 36 outwardly and then the shaft of the shunting assembly is free to be moved upward by its spring, and shorting disc 42 is disengaged from screws 48 and 49. Battery 23 is now no longer shorted. Also the inner spring 29 of valve assembly 26 tends to push valve 27 outwardly, however, the pressure of the sea Water against valve 27 will keep valve 27 seated to close aperture 24 until the force of spring 29 exceeds the force of the sea pressure. At this time the submarine signal fuze 11 will be at or near to the surface of the water and will be in a position for ignition. As valve 27 is expelled from its seat by spring 29, sea water enters the inner compartment of the fuze body 13 and the sea water acts as an electrolyte to energize the plates of battery 23. The power from the sea water battery will then ignite or explode the squibs 19 and 20 to ignite the pyrotechnic composition 14. The products of combustion from the pyrotechnic composition 14 will increase the pressure within shell 12 until the force of spring 18 of the nose plug assembly 16 is exceeded Whereupon nose plug assembly 16 will be ejected from shell 12 and the smoke from the pyrotechnic composition will then be emitted through aperture 15.

In FIGURE 6 of the drawings there is shown an alternate design for a nose plug assembly. A pin 51 is provided to maintain the nose plug 17 in position until the products of combustion from the pyrotechnic composition 14 are great enough to cause pin 51 to shear. When this happens, the nose plug assembly will then be ejected and the products of combustion can then pass through aperture 15.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claim, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specificially described.

What isclaimed is:

A submarine signalling device adapted to be launched in a body of sea water beneath the surface thereof comprising;

a fuze body having an inner chamber therein,

a projectile shell attached to said fuze body and containing a pyrotechnic composition therein,

a pair of electrical squibs adjacent said pyrotechnic composition for igniting said pyrotechnic composition when said squibs are energized,

a sea water battery positioned in said inner chamber of said fuze body and connected through first and second terminals to said squibs,

valve means in said fuze body normally sealing said inner chamber of said fuze body from said body of sea water,

a shaft slidably attached to said fuze body and having a shorting disc engageable with said first and second terminals,

means connected to said shaft normally biasing said shorting disc away from said first and second terminals,

a guide shoe assembly pivotally connected on the outside of said fuze body engaging said valve means and said shaft thereby locking said valve means in a closed position and maintaining said shorting disc in engagement with said first and second terminals until said signalling device is launched in a body of sea water, and

means operatively connected to said valve means for actuating said valve means when the pressure applied to said valve means by said body of water has been reduced to a predetermined value thereby permitting the entrance of sea water into said inner chamber whereby said sea Water serves as an electrolyte for said battery.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,748,704 6/56 Dinsmoor 10216 X 2,790,389 4/57 Ackerman 10237.8 2,859,695 11/58 Rolle- 102-7 2,920,560 1/60 Clauser ct al l027 3,048,111 8/62 Baker et a1. 102-7O BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL W. ENGLE, Examiner. 

